Yarn-Bombing: Germany

Leave it to the Deutschers to pull off the most impressive yarn-bombing I've seen to date. This was some sort of pipe spanning one of the streets near the stretch of water that runs through the middle of Königsalle in Düsseldorf. The fleißig Germans managed to cover the whole thing in an orderly patchwork of knitted squares. It certainly jazzed up an otherwise very gloomy and frustrating day. So, thank you, knitters of Düsseldorf. 

Notice the policeman, appearing totally unimpressed.

Life During Strike Time

The list of things I did not expect when I started out for what I assumed was going to be a weekend of epic gnar shreddage in the Swiss Alps included a fancy hotel, a ghastly buffet dinner, a sauna and being trapped in Düsseldorf with essentially no way out. I mean, technically there are ways out, but I'm too poor to pay for a train or rent a car, and not quite desperate enough to hitchhike... Yet. If I was musically inclined there's probably a song in this somewhere. But I digress.

Now, call me ill-prepared, but airport workers' strikes are not something I regularly check for when booking a trip. Not that checking would have done me much good in this case, as the strike is apparently a 'surprise' one. And just to add to the fun, it appears to be taking place at all German airports, essentially paralyzing air travel in the country. Germany is all well and good, but id prefer to visit the country on my own terms.

One thing I do have to give people credit for though is the orderliness and calmness with which they are reacting to this state of affairs. There is a line for check-in over 200m long, but it is a very orderly and unhysterical line. Only one man, that I've seen, has freaked out at the ticket counter, and he appeared to be a drunk hobo. So that doesn't really count.

Another thing I'm totally impressed with is the quality of service provided by AirBerlin. Seriously, they're fantastic. They've been very nice and incredibly helpful and hard-working, providing hotels and even partnering with DB to get people a step closer to where they need to go.
At this point I've given up on Switzerlandand am focusing my energy on getting home. But even with the help of trains, it seems Copenhagen is an extremely difficult place to get to if not by air. How long I shall fester in Düsseldorf is unknown. At least I certainly can't accuse this trip of being uninteresting.

Pictured, order.

By far the most civilized line I've ever waited in.

Early to Rise

Being awake and making moves at or before 4:00 provides a very different experience of the world than that most people are used to. This is particularly true in Copenhagen, a city which unashamedly parties hard. Walk to Nørreport in the wee hours of the morning and you're guaranteed to pass more people lurching their way home from the bars and clubs than you are people going about their daily business. Unless of course their daily business includes stumbling through their front doors at 5:00am. Which is entirely possible.

But whenever I'm airport-bound before sunrise (aka every time I travel), I'm somewhat of a novelty, carrying a backpack, with my nose pointed towards city center instead of away. Though I will admit, I've been on the other side of the equation too; time seems to lose its meaning on a night out in Copenhagen, and it's not unusual to glance at your phone and find that it's 3:30 when you could have sworn it was only midnight.

The metro to the airport at this time of morning is always, well, interesting as well. Once again, travelers like myself are in the minority. Not nearly as much as we are in the city streets though. But the Nørreport metro platform can be a crazy place. It's not uncommon for the person next to you to be swaying unsteadily or even take a digger on to you. And rushes for the door of the train can get a bit physical. I usually tend to get to the station one train early so I can watch the chaos and strategically place myself at the head of the queue forming in its wake. But by all means, enter the fray. If that's what you're into.

Walking on Sunshine

A clear, sunny day is a rare and beautiful thing in Copenhagen, and today was particularly nice. Cold, crisp air, sun sparkling off the ice on the lakes, and a nice dusting of snow just to top things off. And in such weather, Danes seem to come out in droves to enjoy the light. The days are already getting noticeably longer, but a Copenhagen winter is still nothing to sneeze at, and a full day of sunshine was a very welcome treat.

Dear Diary, today I wore sunglasses.

The sunlight here is unbearably picturesque.

Some cool ice.

The skyline along the lakes.

And a typical Danish couple, being Danish and beautiful.

And as a special bonus, I also discovered a new yarn bombing while moseying around the lakes. I enjoy it. 

It looks a bit surprised.